The present invention relates to a binding element, more specifically to a binding element of the type of which the inside of the back is provided with an amount of glue which melts under the influence of heat.
Binding elements of the above-mentioned type are widely known. In order to bind a bundle of sheets or documents by means of such binding element, the sheets are placed in contact with the glue in the binding element. Consecutively, the whole is placed vertically, the back facing down, on a heating element, so that the glue melts and the sheets intrude in the glue layer. After the binding element has been taken off the heating element, the glue hardens, with as a result that the sheets are retained in the binding element by means of the glue.
In order to obtain that the heat of the heating element is fed to the glue in an efficient way, more specifically is spread very equally, it is also known to apply an element of a heat conducting material, such as metal, in the back.
It is also known that the above-mentioned element can consist of a metal U-shaped profile. An example thereof is disclosed in GB 2.197.156. The use of such U-shaped profile also offers the advantage that, when laying the bound bundle open, respectively turning the pages thereof, the glue connections between the sheets, as well as the glue connections between the sheets themselves, is burdened little or not at all, thus avoiding that the sheets come loose.
According to GB 2.197.156, the U-shaped profile is located at the inside of the file. The binding element therefore has the disadvantage that it is very user-unfriendly, as it is very difficult to slide all sheets into the U-shaped profile, especially with thick bundles. Indeed, the outer sheets end up on the edge of the relatively thick metal profile.